News
Rivers Monarchs Condemn Sack Of Six Police Officers
Traditional rulers in Rivers State have risen stoutly in condemnation of the dismissal by the police high command of six police officers attached to the Governor of the State, Chief Nyesom Wike, with a call to the Inspector General of Police to revisit the issue for the sake of peace and justice.
The monarchs, who made the condemnation during the 105th Quarterly General Meeting of the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers in Port Harcourt last Monday noted with dismay that the six police officers were dismissed for merely carrying out their legitimate duty of protecting their principal, Governor Wike.
Speaking on behalf of the monarchs in his address, the Chairman of the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers, His Majesty King Dandeson Douglas Jaja decried a situation where some senior police officers, who played ignoble roles during the December 10, 2016 legislative rerun polls in the state are still in the state discharing their normal duties, while the six sacked police officers and the entire governor’s security details had been withdrawn.
“This means that of all the 36 Governors of this country, only our Governor is unprotected except by Almighty God. We, as Royal fathers of the state are alarmed at this dangerous situation. As Royal fathers, we do not want to be partisan, but we also want to use this medium to call on the Inspector General of Police to revisit the dismissal of these six police officers”, he said.
King Jaja also called on well meaning Nigerians, especially President Muhammadu Buhari to prevail on the Inspector General of Police to restore Governor Wike’s security details to their former positions, while appealing to other traditional rulers in the country to add their voices to this issue and prevail on the Federal Government to restore the governor’s security details.
While commending Governor Wike’s giant development strides in less than two years in office, he noted that the economic downturn in the country has not deterred him from fulfilling promises made to traditional rulers in the state, and thanked him for the even spread of road projects in the three senatorial districts of the state.
The monarch, who is also the Amanyanabo of Opobo Kingdom, expressed delight that the Rivers State Government has set the ball rolling for the Golden Jubilee celebration of the State, stressing that Governor Wike was destined to be on the saddle to see the celebration through, and thanked him for appointing the Amanyanabo of Grand Bonny Kingdom, His Majesty King Edward Asimini William Dappa-Pepple and His Majesty, Eze (Dr.) Samuel Amaechi into the Golden Jubilee celebration committee.
While interacting with newsmen shortly after the meeting, King Jaja disclosed that the traditional rulers would follow up their call for the restoration of Governor Wike’s security details with petitions to President Muhammadu Buhari and the Inspector General of Police.
He said the promise by Governor Wike to provide cars to the traditional rulers and also construct a befitting secretariat for them was a welcome development, stressing that the governor has always shown that he keeps his words and promises.
“As a fall out, we may request government to give us another site for a bigger premises for the secretariat”, he added.
Donatus Ebi
News
I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
News
RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
News
Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.
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